Georgian theatre design on view at Prague’s major Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space

An exposition by contemporary Georgian theatre artists, plus a generational display looking at tendencies of stage design in the country are part of the ongoing Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, known as “the largest scenography event in the world”.

With the national pavilion coming to the Czech capital for the fourth time, visitors are introduced to Georgian professionals of scenography and design with displays equally exploring the country’s society and its stage art.

Items and videos from acclaimed productions, from Pillow Man by director David Doiashvili to Women of Troy by Data Tavadze and ANTImedea by Guram Matskhonashvili, are on show at the exhibition grounds for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who check in at the major event during its editions.

Another exposition for the Georgian pavilion at the Quadrennial, titled Open Circle, is designed to share a “reflection on traumas a post-conflict society” to viewers and comes from the Youth Union of the Theatre Artists of Georgia.

A view on the Georgian pavilion at the exhibition grounds. Photo: Vaso Abashidze Music & Drama State Theatre.

The national corner in Prague also plays host to works from three generations of Georgian theatre designers.

The exhibition traces the evolution of stage art by creatives from different eras and conditions in the country — from breaking 20th century “logocentric theatre cliches” to the contemporary approaches of the new independent Georgian theatre.

In a wider perspective, this year’s Quadrennial seeks to convey an idea inspired by its own principal prize, the Golden Triga.

Three different forces coming together to pull the chariot driven by Nike [in the physical prize] [...] symbolize the three stages of human life: youth’s wild instinct and intuition, the experience of adulthood, and the wisdom of age.

We will use the metaphor of the Golden Triga to explore these points of view, three areas connected with the cyclical phases of the creative process: Imagination, Transformation, Memory.” — Prague Quadrennial organisers.

Items from stage design of productions by Georgian theatre directors. Photo: Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia press office.

A jury team of architects, scenographers, sound designers, teachers and more are assessing presented works at the event that aims to “bring the best of design for performance, scenography, and theatre architecture to the front”.

Hundreds of events in the Quadrennial highlight design from nearly 80 countries, with the history of the celebration of theatre art spanning back to 1967.

This year’s Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space is held between June 6-16.